*sniff* NO HEARTBEAT FOUND AT 4 WEEKS???

Question

My neice is estimated to be about 4 weeks pregnant and yesterday she was spotting (pink at first and then brownish) and still some spotting today. She had some mild cramping (milder than normal period cramps). She went for an ultrasound to make sure everything was ok. The doctor told her that there was no heartbeat and that if the baby didn't miscarry on it's own in two weeks, they would do a D&C. I don 't think they did a blood test today to measure the levels. Looking around on the net, everything says that the fetal heartbeat doesnt' begin until 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 weeks and that until then, and sometimes later, it is very unlikely to see a heartbeat or fetal pole, so I don't understand how they can send this poor girl home with no hope, thinking her baby is gone for sure!? I asked her if they were going to do bloodtest or repeat ultrasound before D&C to make sure and she was told no, that they wouldn't have to because it would be too small. Anyone with any experience/advice? Thank

Answer 1

I think your niece should get a second opinion to make sure. But where I have previously lost two children it sounds to me like the doctor's might be right and only because of the way you are describing her spotting. But if she doesn't think the doctor's are right she has the right to have a second opinion done. I am truly sorry if she loses it but she can still have another perfectly healthy baby.

Answer 2

Something doesn't sound right at all. DO NOT let her get the D&C without getting a second opinion, a bloodtest to measure her Hcg levels AND a second ultrasound. When I became pregnant this last time, I had already had a miscarriage 4 months prior so my OB wanted to do an ultrasound AFTER 6 weeks to check for a heartbeat. I had found out I was pregnant right before I turned 4 weeks and knew that 2 weeks was going to feel like years so I asked numerous times (yes I was that annoying patient) why they wouldn't just do the ultrasound before 6 weeks and was told by numerous doctors that even if they did the u/s that it was HIGHLY unlikely to see or pick up a heartbeat until 6-8 weeks because the heart is just too small to be seen. I even called the day I turned 6 weeks and they still wanted to wait a few days, so at 6 1/2 weeks they did the u/s and even then, the hearts were so small that they could only be seen as little flickers on the screen when they beat. And on top of that, very light spotting isn't unusual at all during early pregnancy. Brown spotting usually is old blood which sometimes occurs during implantation and if she's only 4 weeks along then it is still early enough for her to have that, I was told as long as the blood isn't bright red and there isn't a lot of it then it isn't as risky as if it were. If she does have a miscarriage on her own, she'll know but try to keep her spirits up and get a 2nd opinion before having a D&C done. I really hope everything turns out for the best, i'll be praying for her.

Answer 3

Ok I have two little stories here. One.....I was pregnant and went for a scan at 6 weeks, only to find no heartbeat and no foetal pole, and the sac was only measuring 5 weeks. I had a blighted ovum and it wasn't going to get any better. I miscarried just before Christmas 2005 with the aid of drugs (didn't want the d&c). Two....... March the following year pregnant again and went for a scan at 5 weeks (usually should be able to see the heart beat around 5 weeks gone) and nothing, I burst into tears again, But the Doc said to wait a few days and do another scan. I waited 4 days and was not expecting a good outcome. But there was the little baby floating with a strong heartbeat and measuring 5weeks 2 days. so when I went for the previous scan it was a little too early. I think your niece needs a second opinion, more blood tests and another scan in a week to see if the pregnancy is viable. Find another Doctor it will be worth it for piece of mind. Even if it is bad news she will know and not be hanging. I hope it is a better outcome.

Answer 4

4 weeks is WAY too soon to make that call! Mild spotting and cramping are both pretty normal in early pregnancy. A heartbeat isn't even visible on an ultrasound until around week five or six, at the earliest! PLEASE have your niece go to a different doctor.



I went for a sonogram in my 4th week and my doctor warned me that it would be too early at that point to see a heartbeat. All we saw was the gestational sac. Two and a half weeks later I went back and there was the baby and the heartbeat, plain as day!



Get a second opinion quick, it sounds like this doctor has no clue what he's doing! Best of luck!

Answer 5

With all 3 of my pregnancies I had spotting that went from a light red to a brownish color. It was like the start of a late period but it was just spotting and I would have been 3 or 4 weeks when this occurred. I didn't go and see a doctor then but took a pregnancy test which came back as positive. It isn't uncommon to have a little spotting at the beginning of a pregnancy.

I would def. go and seek a second opinion and not let them do a d&c until it is confirmed as no heart beat after the 6 week mark. I had an ultrasound with my last pregnancy at 6 weeks and there was an anomaly with the heart beat. It would be 100 and then it would jump up to 140 and back down to 100. We were given a grim look by the ultrasound tech. and told it may not be a viable pregnancy. 2 days later I has severe cramping, heavy bleeding and clotting and went to hospital. I was told "sorry" I had miscarried our baby. I was still sick (nauseas) a week later and went to my doctor who gave me pills for an inflamed stomach and a request for a blood test to check my levels were dropping as they should.

I got a call later that day telling me not to take the pills, my hormone levels had doubled and they needed to do an ultrasound. When the ultrasound was performed, there was a little cozy baby curled up in there with a steady heartbeat of 140. We had had twins and we miscarried one (the one whose heartbeat was 100) but kept the other.

When my son was born (after 3 1/2 months in hospital before he was born with other complications) they found I had an extra placenta that i hadn't miscarried.

Tell your niece not to give up hope just yet and def. get a second opinion!



Good luck to you and your niece!

Answer 6

I would go to another doctor .. 4 weeks is very early they detected mine at 5.5 weeks and that was with a vaginal ultrasound and JUST !! My sister inlaw was told the same thing and she had a repeat scan and the heartbeat was there ! I would recommed she go else where and have a repeat scan in 3-4 weeks time to make sure and then take it from there ... The doctor sounds cold and hearltess and Im sure you canot be that confident as a doctor that she is going to misscarry or the baby is not viable at 4 weeks thats discusting I think ... The spotting and mild cramping will be her implantation as you conceive 2 weeks after last period but are classed pregnant from first day of last period .. so its right on the time for her to implant or have old blood ..

Tell to her to hang in there dont give up hope yet :)

Answer 7

That seems a bit odd, I went into the doctor at about.... 5 and a half weeks and my baby didn't have a heartbeat either, it was just the sack, but when i went in at 8 weeks she did. So I would get a second opinion. I had some spotting early with this pregnancy as well. My doctor said it just happens to some people. I would go to a differant doctor and seek a second opinion. then have them do a blod count and make sure the levels are doubling like they should be. Good luck!!!

Answer 8

they had a hard time finding my baby's heartbeat with the doppler at 10 weeks, but when they did the ultrasound she was perfectly healthy, and they could see the heart beating, even if they couldn't see it. this early in the pregnancy it is TOO early to hear the heatbeat. her best bet is to find another doctor and wait until the 8th week to look for the heartbeat and in the meantime have the bloodwork done to check if her hormone levels are increasing b/c this early on that is the only way to be sure she's not still pregnant

Answer 9

Tell her to WAIT!! Some women report seeing the heartbeat for the first time on an ultrasound at 13 weeks. Right now there's not even a heartbeat. She's also probably having implantation bleeding. That's completely normal, as well. What kind of crackpot doctor is she going to???? Tell her to find another doctor, because he's INSANE!!!

Answer 10

4 weeks is way to soon to say that for sure. Let me share something with you, and hopefully it will make you urge her to get a second opinion.



When I was pregnant with my daughter we found out at 7 1/2 weeks. The ultrasound tech told me that the placents was full of holes and my uterus was full of blood clots. She said that under these conditions I could not maintain the pregnancy and the best bet for me and my child was to have a medically recommended abortion. I went to another doc the next week and he told me that at 7 1/2 weeks there are blood clots everywhere naturally and they would not be able to see holes in the placents yet. I almost aborted my daughter without getting a second opinion. That would have been a huge mistake. I consider myself lucky to have gotten that second opinion, because thay are not always right, especially at the ealy stages of pregnancy.

Answer 11

My advice would be to find a different doctor!!! Don't give up hope, i think it was too early for the heartbeat to have shown up on an ultrasound. They didn't even do a blood test to test hormones??? Sheesh! This makes me really nervous. I don't have a degree yet, but this would be one of my first steps.

Answer 12

I've had 2 IVF pregnancies and both times they did not even DO a u/s until 7 weeks. Why? um, because you can't see much.



4 weeks is incredibly early to even find a hb, let alone threaten a D&C.



I would not only get a second opinion, I would drop that Dr like a rock and find a new one.



If they do a D&C without another u/s, they could be aborting a viable fetus. Shame on them.

Answer 13

4 weeks is too early to detect a heartbeat. You can see a heartbeat at 6 or 7 weeks. Stupid doctor!

Answer 14

She needs to see someone else. I went in at almost 6 weeks and had an ultrasound and there was no heartbeat. The ultrasound tech said it was early, so not to worry. I am now 31 weeks and my little girl is doing great.

Tell her not to give up hope and see someone else.



good luck!

Answer 15

It's very unlikely that they would find the heart beat at this time. I would seriously consider going some place else and getting a second opinion. It doesn't sound like she should put much trust into this doctor, especially if he/she is not going to do another ultrasound or give her any blood work.

Answer 16

She needs to wait and have another ultrasound. I had one at 6 weeks and we did not see the baby or a heartbeat. The ultrasound tech seemed to think everything was fine, but my Doc was sure I had another blighted ovum. Well, they did a few blood tests and my hormones were doubling so at 8 weeks they did another ultrasound and there was baby ;) Tell her to get another opinion!

Answer 17

When I went in at 4 weeks, nothing showed up at all on the sonogram so I had to do extra HCG tests and blood test to confirm it was a regular pregnancy and not ectopic. The sac finally showed up at my 6 week appointment and heartbeat at 8 week appointment. It's too early for them to conclude a miscarriage unless something showed up really wrong with bloodtests. I suggest she go to a different doctor at 6 weeks.

Answer 18

With my first son i had a bit of bleeding and went for a scan i was around 5 weeks and they couldn't detect a heart beat as the baby was to small and said that he could be stuck in my tubes. nice thing to tell someone. well i went home prayed went back a week later and saw my little boy and his heart beat. i would maybe go see someone else before she lets them do anything, you would think they would do a blood test to check her levels. I pray everything is ok.

Answer 19

She needs to see another OB for another ultrasound in a couple of wees. She also needs to have a blood test performed asap. That was not proper conduct of her doctor. She needs to find a new one immediately. At 4 weeks I could not see my babies on an u/s. At 8 weeks we found out I was having twins. She needs to see someone else.

Answer 20

Tell her to ditch that doc and find a new one. Why wouldn't they verify before a D&C? Don't they care they could kill a healthy baby. A HB doesn't show up till 6 weeks or later.IDK why the doc is acting that way. TEll her not to give up hope and find a new doctor!!

Answer 21

way to early i got a ultrasound at four an half weeks and they said its way to early ihave to wait a few more weeks for it to show up i asked if it was dead or alive cause im new at this an they said that its nothin its still growin and as long as your not majorly bleedin then everythings ok tell her not to worry go back in a couple weeks and hopefully there will be a heart beat. that is way to early it has even developed a heart beat yet no worries..... congrats!

Answer 22

it is way too early to even find the heartbeat! its around 5-7 weeks that the machines can pick up the babys heart rate!

tell her not to give up,get a second opinion! x

Answer 23

please dont let them do a d&c on the poor girl....the heart beat does start at 4 wks but BUT it is hard to hear and lots of people dont even hear the heartbeat till 10 wks or so!!!....please just tell her to wait it out and not stress...unless the doc was an ob he prolly isnt to sure about things...tell her to get a second opinion in a couple weeks!!

Answer 24

At 4 weeks you can't hear or see a heart beat,I was 13 weeks at my first dr appt and by then you can hear it but 4 weeks is way to early

Answer 25

According to the source, the fetus heart doesn't start beating till about 8 weeks. However, due to the spotting and the cramping and the time period that she's having these symptoms, it sounds unfortunately like a miscarriage. Early miscarriage usually happens before the sixth week. But she needs to just wait and see. Good luck.

Answer 26

DEFINATLY get her to get a second opinion.

I had times where I went to the doc and it took him a half hour to find a heartbeat.

This doc is nuts for jumping to conclusions based on what he "didn't hear".

Get a second opinion.

Spotting can be normal during pregnancy, I had a full blown period at 6 weeks! No abnormalties and all my kids are healthy.

Second opinion!

Answer 27

I was told it was almost impossible to find a heartbeat before 7 weeks. Hang in there.

Answer 28

She needs to find a new doctor. That is MUCH too early to see the heartbeat. It hasn't begun yet.

Answer 29

Let her wait it out. That is too soon to hear a heartbeat. she may end up miscarrying on her own, but do not let them do a DC because they didn't hear a heartbeat.

Answer 30

I would get a second opinion. My mom never heard a heartbeat with me so there is always hope. Good luck & your in my prayers.

Answer 31

What?!? 4 weeks is WAY too early!!!!!! I can't believe they told her that. Most dr.'s don't even schedule a first appt. until somewhere around 8-10 weeks so that they don't scare girls for nothing. If I were her, I would look for a new dr.

Answer 32

Geez! 4 years is a little early to hear a heartbeat -- I think she should consult another doctor!!!!

Answer 33

WTF????



GET A SECOND OPINION



At 4 weeks it's nearly impossible to detect a heartbeat- wait another couple of weeks and they should be able to find one!!

Answer 34

Its normal to get a second opinion from another doctor!

Answer 35

screw them !~!!

last week they told me my baby might have stopped growing and it was a miscarriage coming!!

today the baby was bigger then expected and had a 150 strong heartbeat!!!!!



4 weeks is to soon!!!!!!!! tell her not to give up hope!

Answer 36

She should most definitely go to another doctor. I will be praying for her. You are sweet to be so supportive for her.

Answer 37

Just give it time. If she's uncomfortable with the doctor then switch.

Answer 38

4 weeks is a little early.

I'd have a second opinion if I were her.

Answer 39

Never! Maybe she should see a specialist!

Answer 40

i don't know much about this stuff but i hope everything will be ok you are in my prayers

Answer 41

Sadly, she may have miscarried. Much of the time, information from the net is useful for learning about medical situations, but it is foolhardy to try to diagnose yourself or another person based on that research. Each individual is different, so it's strongly urged that a patient rely on her pediatrician or other suitable medical professional, and get a second opinion if she needs one in this case. Also, the doctor is using good medical judgement to give it a little more time to make that determination, and see if a natural abortion occurs.

Regardless, my sympathy for your niece, and do what you can to support her. Encourage her to see a counselor if she does not regain her emotional equilibrium within a few weeks, especially if a D&C is necessary.